Momentum
by bookishness
Summary: Moments in the early relationship of Ron and Hermione, starting the night before Hermione arrives at the Burrow in DH and continuing past the war. (This is an accompaniment to "Affectionate" but can be read separately)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : Hi Guys! So This is actually a companion to Affectionate. It can be read alone, but it started because I've been struggling with Affectionate, and I think it's because I haven't fully fleshed out the behind the scenes stuff to it. Hopefully this will help me work out where I'm going with it exactly. So if you're new to this, I would encourage you to read Affectionate as well - though you don't have to. (This chapter corresponds to the first chaper of Affectionate)**

 **Okay, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Harry Potter**

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Ron had been on edge all day, he had phoned Hermione at midnight yesterday and she had told him what she was about to do. They had created their own code, something that they hadn't even shared with Harry (as they often taked about him through it), and earlier this week Hermione had used it to inform him that she urgently needed to speak to him. He had managed to sneak sout to his father's shed and, using the clearly detailed instructions Hermione had passed covertly into his hand when she visited earlier that summer, he had dialed her number, which she had hastily picked up.

It had been strangely intimate that phone call; they had both been whispering to avoid being caught plotting, and it meant that in the silent dark of the terrifyingly spider-filled shed, he could hear her every breath. It was almost as though they had been sat close together in a dark room.

She had answered the phone with a quiet, "Hello? Ron?"

"Hi." He had been so nervous that he was going to do something wrong and not be able to speak to her that he let out a relieved sigh, the sound of her voice so close to his ear instantly putting a smile on his face.

"Hi." She said quietly, he could hear the smile in her voice.

They both started to speak nervously at the same time, and ended up in a game of 'you, no you.' ending in them both laughing at themselves. Ron felt a warmth fill him, one he only felt when he was alone with Hermione, and one he now - finally - admitted was love.

"When are you coming?" He asked trying (and failing) to keep the desperation out of his voice.

She suddenly became sombre, he felt it in the tension between them, it worried him.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" He heard a gentle sniff.

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk about. I - I'm going to have to alter their memories, I have to make them forget me."

And that was it, she had explained what she was going to have to do and he tried, and failed miserably to comfort her over the phone, wishing he could be sat right next to her and give in to the overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around her. Then she was saying goodbye and he was left sitting in the cold, dank shed, suddenly aware of the thousands of spiders that must be surrounding him. He quickly stumbled out and up to his room, comforted by the thought of her presence tomorrow, with a new determination to make her feel better and resolved to begin his plan to finally make his feelings clear.

Now he was waiting, sat terrified on the sofa staring out at the apparition point. What had seemed like a good idea now seemed like the scariest thing in the world; Hermione could never love this bumbling ginger idiot who makes her cry. But then she had been jealous of Lavender; and she had cried on his shoulder and kissed his cheek; and she had sought out his company and blushed at his brother's teasing about them when she had come over earlier this summer. The turmoil was running through his brain over and over until suddenly, in the middle of the chatter of his family sat around him (who he continued to ignore), she appeared in a flash outside. He jumped up, his heart beating ten to the dozen, and in without thinking, his legs carried him outside.

He was breathing heavily by the time he reached her. He could see the tears she was struggling to hold in glistening in her eyes. She was about three seconds away from a full breakdown. He grabbed her hand and she stared gratefully into his eyes, her lip trembling, he nodded and she nodded back. It was strange how after so many years of being woefully out of sync when it came to their feelings, it now felt like they could almost read each other's mind. In a moment of clarity he lost his nervousness. She was here now. He had her and he'd be damned if he was ever letting her go. He led her to the door, they both took a deep breath and he led her in.

it was all in vain however, as the second she saw his family, who were all smiling warmly at her, she burst into tears. They all looked rather shocked and before his mother could fuss over her, he stole her away up to his room, slamming the door behind him.

She was stood in the middle of his room shaking, and sobbing, and staring at him like a lost puppy. Instinct took over and he strode up to her and took her in his arms. He'd like to say it was smooth and romantic, but he had awkwardly trapped her arms against his chest and they had to do an awkward extraction, but then she looked up at him, and he shrugged, and she laughed and he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Oh come here, you." She half laughed, half cried.

This time they came together slowly, tentatively wrapping their arms around each other. His heart was beating in his ears and he wasn't sure whether or not he could feel hers beating just as quickly into his shirt, or if his was just that loud.

They held each other for far too long of a time for it to be remotely platonic, and as she rested her head on his chest, he let himself believe that maybe this was the start of something between them. "Are you okay?" He asked, leaning back to look down at her fluffy hair.

She looked up and met his eyes, some kind of static buzzed between them.

"I am now." She replied softly.

Then as though they were being pulled by some imaginary force, they started to lean towards each other , and Ron's brain was going into a mad, panicked, silent buzz. This was it. he was finally going to kiss Hermione Granger, they girl he had loved since he first knew what love was.

Suddenly, just as their lips were inches apart and they were grasping each other tightly, nervously, their eyes fluttering shut, the door burst open and they jumped apart. Flustered Hermione tugged at her jumper, Ron glared into Fred's grinning eyes, his face burning with anger and embarrassment.

"Lunch is ready kiddlies." His voice dancing with amusement. Hemione ran out of the room with a nervous chatter.

"I hate you." Ron managed to get out through gritted teeth.

"Wow, if not for me and my wonderful book you wouldn't even have had a nearly kiss Ronnie, so how was that? Did you gaze into her eyes and see your future ickle babies..." He continued making fun while Ron stormed out of the room and shut himself in the bathroom to compose himself.

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Hermione made her way down the stairs, but as she was passing Ginny's room, she got dragged in.

"Ginny! What are you doing?" She exclaimed.

The girl in question smirked at her before launching herself at the already flustered Hermione.

"I've missed you so much, I've been going crazy not having anyone to talk to and with Phlegm... but anyway, are you alright?"

Hermione panicked for a moment thinking that Ginny had heard George's teasing from the hallway, before she realised that the last time she saw Ginny she was in floods of tears.

"Oh, yes... yes, i'm ... fine." In truth emotions were still in a whirlwind, Ron had nearly kissed her, or she had nearly kissed Ron? Did it matter which way? Of course it did because Ron could just have been letting her kiss him because he liked being kissed, but if he had nearly kissed her then it meant he wanted it too. Hermione wasn't sure what to think and she had never been this confused in all her life, she could barely remember what had even happened, one minute she was crying and the next she was in his arms.

"Are you sure Hermione? You seem a bit... red." Ginny contemplated for a moment before her eyes lit up, "Did something happen Hermione?!"

Hermione wasn't sure what to say, something had obviously happened, but what she really didn't know.

"I think so. I mean maybe, he might have nearly, but then maybe it was me and I'm just presuming. I don't know it all happened so fast and then George was bursting in before he could get to it. I'm very confused. Anyway your mum wanted us to come down to tea so we'd best..." She was still quietly muttering to herself as she made her way downstairs, only to find Ron right in front of her.

They caught each other's eyes and had an awkward moment of intense eye contact before the hubub of the kitchen broke them out of it. Most people were already seated, so they had to sit next to each other, Ron pulled out her chair and she looked at him in shock, he was never this gentlemanly usually, so did this mean he had wanted it? Or was she just reading into things? But then he winked at her and her heart started pounding and her head spun with questions.

Throughout the meal she could barely talk, he kept doing things, like gently touching her shoulder as he leant across to reach the potatoes and glancing at her in a very obvious way. She thought she was going crazy but she didn't seem to be the only one noticing, everyone kept giving them strange looks and she swore she saw Fred exchange a meaningful glance with him.

When the dinner ended and they made excuses to leave the table (they were really going to plan what they needed to do before Harry arrived) Bill made a comment about leaving the door open and Hermione was mortified, though she wasn't sure he was really that wrond with the way she was feeling at that moment. So she raced up the stairs with Ron, who had grabbed her hand, something that he had done only a few times before, and each time she wondered what it would be like to have those hands on her face, and in her hair, and... she was getting ahead of herself. He had thrown her into a frenzy and she didn't think she could handle it for much longer.

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Ron couldn't believe how good it felt to show Hermione his feelings, especially with her responding so well. He never dreamed he'd be able to make her blush or feel her heart race because of him, as he could through her wrist. He had succeded in making her more flustered than she was by an exam, or by breaking the rules, and he did love a flustered Hermione. They came to his room and he dropped her hand, and suddenly he was scared. He thought about the near kiss earlier and he wanted so desperately to continue it, but something stopped him.

"Harry'll be here soon." Hermione said softly, almost regretfully.

His heart stuttered and he felt a jab of jealousy, even though he knew it was wrong and he knew that Harry and Hermione would never happen, some part of him hated that Harry was inbetween them. He loved Harry just as much as he did his brother's, he definitely got on with him better, but some small voice in his head was bitter that Harry had to share even this part of his life. Even the part that he didn't want to share with anybody; not Viktor Krum, not Cormac McClaggen and not Harry Potter. He just wanted Hermione to be his, or more realistically he wanted to be hers.

So they talked about Harry, and they started to pack that little beaded bag and he told her she was a genius and she blushed and they went round in the same damn circles they always did, where they came close to admitting how they felt and then one of them brought up Harry, or Voldemort, or the war and they realised that nothing could happen while they had other priorities. Then it was time for bed, and he decided that he would give her that kiss one way or another.

She had nearly left and he pulled her back (quite romantically he might add) she was shocked, looking up at him with those big brown eyes and Merlin! He was dying to give in and plonk one on her, but he resisted and gave her, what the book described as a charming, gentlemanly goodnight kiss on the forehead. He savoured the feeling of her soft skin on his lips and allowed himself to stay there a few minutes too long, allowing him to take a deep breath of her heavenly smell (that he was sure he had smelt last year as he walked past the amortentia). As soon as her stepped back he had to force himself to quickly retreat to his room and shut the door behind him, or else he'd have let himself get carried away and say something stupid.

As he was lying in bed, his heart still racing, he thought about what it would be like when they left and were alone (well, with Harry). Would they have more of this oddly charged moments? if they did he was sure that he would eventually give in. Or would they not have another oppurtunity as they became too busy defeating horcruxes. He sighed and turned over, awaiting the dreams of Hermione's soft skin against his lips.

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 **Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I am so, so sorry that it's been so long; I've been finishing my degree, but now I'm finished forever and that means more writing this summer!**

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When Charlie banged roughly on his bedroom door the next morning with a quick shout of "BREAKFAST!", Ron had almost forgotten about what had happened the night before. That was until he dragged himself out of bed just in time to see Hermione come out of the bathroom all clean and fresh smelling. He knew he was going red, and he knew that Charlie (who was waiting for the bathroom) could see him stare but he couldn't seem to look away, especially not when Hermione caught his eye and her own widened in surprise as her own cheeks flushed a pretty pink. There were a few tense seconds until she mumbled "Morning" and went downstairs. His eyes followed her.

Suddenly he noticed a strange choking sound and looked over to it's source only to realise that his brother was trying to hold in laughter.

"What?!" Ron asked indignantly.

"Oh, Nothing." Spluttered Charlie, "You two are ridiculous." He continued to laugh as he ruffled Ron's hair and disappeared into the bathroom.

Unruffled, Ron continued on his way downstairs, finding Hermione sat at the kitchen table he sat beside her. His mother was just finishing the beans when he sat down. Upon noticing him - and seeing that only he and Hermione were in the room - she seemed to be about to speak, when the twins burst in clamouring at the rest of the food that Ron hadn't piled on his own plate.

"Hey leave some for Hermione!" He snapped. All four of the room's occupants looked at him in shock.

His mother recovered first and with a wry smile added "Yes boys, don't be such greedy pigs."

The twins looked at each other and feinted expressions of horror before overtly politely offering a giggling Hermione everything on the table one by one.

Ron tensed, he hadn't meant for them to flirt with her. Not that they were doing it seriously, or that Hermione would ever consider them that way, he knew. But still it hurt a little that he had come to her rescue and she was focusing all her attention on them.

He was determined to get her alone so that he could have her full attention for at least a day before Harry came and took it all up. However, that was proving difficult as Ginny seemed to have the same idea. He thought it was terribly unfair, as Hermione was his…. er… friend, and not Ginny's. Though the two did seem to have gotten a lot closer over the past few years, and although usually he would be supportive of that – seeing Hermione interact with his family as though she were already a part of it warmed his heart – right now he had a mission and Ginny was getting in the way.

He had finally managed it, they were sat outside, Ginny had abandoned them and she was laughing at his story about a stubborn gnome when all of a sudden he felt a splash of liquid on his face. He looked up to see Hermione frozen and Ginny looking down carrying a jug of squash which she had tipped all over his poor … er… Hermione.

Ginny apologised and dragged Hermione away. Ron wasn't sure that it wasn't a ruse to get her away to talk and decided to make it just as hard for Ginny as she was making it for him. He followed them back to the kitchen and considered the chances of getting hexed if he followed them up the stairs when he heard his mother's voice. He hadn't noticed that she was even there so in his shock he automatically obeyed her request for him to sit. It was only a second after he had done so that he realised by her expression that he was in trouble. He couldn't think what he might be in trouble for though, and looking around he wasn't picking up any clues either.

"Mum, what -?"

But he didn't get the chance to finish as she had already began her tirade, she had heard them last night talking about not going back to Hogwarts.

He internally let of a number of swear words that would have landed him in even more trouble if his mother could have read minds, how could they have been so careless?

He was saved momentarily by his family and mentally thanked them while he came up with what to say, could he admit that it was true? He guessed he'd have to at some point, it might as well be now.

Ignoring his family frozen by the door, he summoned every ounce of Gryffindor courage and looked her square in the eye, "It's not a misunderstanding." He tried to keep his voice calm, although he was shaking inside.

The tension was awful and for a few seconds he genuinely thought that his mother might kill him.

Her outburst was unexpected though, she didn't seem to care that he wasn't going to school, more that he was going somewhere else with Hermione. Because of the shock he forgot to be scared, instead puzzling her words, before realising that she must have witnessed more than just their conversation last night. He hated that his mother seemed to have the impression that they were running off together in that way, particularly because he knew Hermione would be so embarrassed if she knew this was what his mother thought.

The courage seemed to come easier when he thought about Hermione's feelings and in some strange fit of insane courage he managed to defy his mother. He noticed Hermione in the doorway when he was finished and regretted not slamming the door on his family earlier. She looked so sad.

His mum told them to leave but then Hermione wouldn't and his mum had to bring up her damn parents. After seeing her tearing up all he wanted was to get out of this room.

When they were alone she asked him what they were leaving for and he found that h really wanted to tell her. Personally he thought they could do with a bit of adult help, though looking at his mother's worried eyes, he found that he couldn't bring himself to.

Then he found himself confronted with yet another crying woman, though this one he had seen coming, he grabbed her hand across the table. When his mere attempts at comfort didn't work he gave her a hug – one he hated to admit that he kind of needed himself.

You've grown again." His mother said wearily into his chest as the crying subsided.

He though that her change of direction was a bit odd but responded anyway, "I'm always growing."

She pulled away, gaining her composure, and Ron readied himself for her verdict.

She finally smiled at him, patting his cheek, which made him feel like a small child, "I'm not condoning this. Not one bit, but please, Ronnie, my baby, please be careful."

He didn't know why put he suddenly felt like crying too, maybe it was all this time spent around sobbing females.

"Always am." He replied gruffly, smiling to disguise his tears.

Then she said something that made his heart race, because he knew that he couldn't promise it, not one bit, "I mean it. No risking your life to save your girl's."

Before he had the chance to try and reassure her without actually promising her (there was no point in denying that he knew it was Hermione he was talking about, he knew by now that pretty much everyone but the girl herself was aware of how he felt) She came out with something that really made him blush.

"And I don't want to be made a Grandmother yet! At least not by you!"

The thought that she was this sure of his prospects as Hermione's boyfriend made him inable to say anything but, "MUM!"

He didn't know what to say, he could start by denying that they were even a couple but then that made him look pathetic and then she started laughing and he couldn't begrudge her of it. He took his chance to sneak out when his dad opened the door and made it to his room without bumping into anyone else.

Unfortunately, Hermione was right there waiting for him. The slight tinge of embarrassment in her features and her slightly laboured breathing told him that the crack that he heard seconds before escaping had been her own escape. She had probably heard what his mother had said.

"I'm sorry. She just…" He didn't have to finish, she nodded in acknowledgement. "And I'm sorry she mentioned your parents, and I'm sorry I'm mentioning it now… I"

He was floundering for words and she seemed overcome with emotion for a strange moment and hurled herself into his arms once more. This time it felt a lot more natural, and he took a moment to bury his nose in her curls, and she sighed softly, murmuring, "thank you". He murmured a "no worries" and they stood there for a long time holding each other, silently acknowledging their feelings for one last time.

When they pulled away, Hermione looked up at him as though debating something, it seemed to take her an age to decide but then she finally took his cheek in her palm and leaned up towards him. For a breath-taking moment, he thought that this was it, but her lips missed his only slightly, the corner of her mouth just touching the corner of his, so close in fact that it barely qualified as a kiss on the cheek.

In that brief moment after, he could tell that she wanted more, and was almost resolved to take her then and there when he heard the distinct voice of Mad-Eye downstairs, remembering the job that they had to do tomorrow. Something about it stopped him. And he hated it.

After they had said their tentative goodnights – him supressing the strange urge to ask her to stay – he lay in bed wide awake thinking about how much was about to change and for one small second, guiltily cursing Harry Potter's name. He drifted off to dreams of Hermione's soft lips on his cheek.

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 **Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys, so I know I haven't updated anything in a long time but this past year has been crazy, from going traveling, graduating, getting engaged, wedding planning and working literally all the time. I just haven't had the time or mental energy to write anything but I really want to get back into it so I decided to start back up. So here is chapter three!**

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For once Ron had actually managed to get it right. In a fit of sheer panic mixed with a tinge of Gryffindor bravery, he had actually managed to ask Hermione to dance before Viktor Krum could swoop in and steal her away.

The only problem with this was the fact that he hadn't really thought any of it through. He was so caught up in his 4th year insecurities and not wanting Krum to sweep her away again that he hadn't processed the fact that now he would actually have to dance with her. He had all but dragged her to the middle of the dance floor and was now stood gaping at her like a complete fool waving his arms awkwardly, trying to decide the appropriate place to put them.

How would he be able to handle having her in his arms in real life for an extended period of time? He may have got over some of his nerves in the weeks before Harry had arrived at the burrow, when they seemed to be having more than a few moments that suggested she might feel the same way. But when Harry arrived their bubble was burst, everything they had to focus on came rushing back along with Ron's insecurities and anxieties. Now Krum was here, why did Fleur have to invite him? What if Hermione was secretly grateful that nothing had happened before Harry's arrival?

He looked into her face and instantly all his fears were silenced. She looked just as nervous as him, but her smile was radiant. She grabbed his hands gently and softly guided them to her waist, while tentatively wrapping her own arms around his neck, it was a slight stretch with the height difference but they managed. He could hear her breathing raggedly as his heart started to pound, they moved awkwardly and he couldn't bear to look in her eyes for fear of seeing disappointment. Or maybe he was just scared that if he saw something else, he might not be able to stop himself from doing something stupid. Then he had to go and step on her foot.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"It's okay," her voice was shaky, "this is nice."

He was surprised at this, "Yeah?"

"Yes." She said firmly.

He looked into her eyes, and suddenly their bodies synched, and the dancing (if you could really call swaying 'dancing') seemed to come more naturally. His heart was pounding and he was pretty sure his hands were starting to shake with the intensity in her eyes, he was beginning to consider doing something stupid like kissing her, or Merlin forbid! Telling her he loved her, when the music suddenly switched.

The high tempo beat snapped both of them out of their daze and apart from each other. Ron nearly let his internal groan become external. He was expecting Hermione to walk back to their table, but she looked at him determinedly and grabbed his hands, pulling his arms back and forward in an effort to get him to dance. So dance he did, at one point he even started mimicking Luna's crazy dancing which sent Hermione into a fit of giggles and he decided that giggling Hermione was almost as good as staring into his eyes Hermione. He loved making her laugh.

They carried on dancing until they were out of breath and their eyes were bright and their feet were sore. Hermione seemed reluctant to admit that she needed a drink and Ron chivalrously told her that he would get her one while she sat down. He poured the drinks and watched her walk back to sit at the table. He was about to make his way over when Kingsley's patronus appeared and all of Ron's half made plans for asking Hermione if she wanted to take a walk outside disappeared into the reality of a war.

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 **Thanks for reading! I am on a bit of a roll so hopefully the next chapter will be up very soon and will be a bit longer!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I know! Shock of shocks! Two updates in two days! This one is the Shell Cottage chapter and this part of the books is my favourite part to read about in fan fiction because there is so much raw emotion. So here's my take.**

 **EDIT: I edited the ending to make it actually fit better with Affectionate 28/11/17**

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Ron stopped spinning and the first thing he felt was the sand. For a moment he let himself be grateful that they had actually made it. Then he looked down.

Hermione was lying in his arms, but not in the way he had always imagined it happening. In fact Ron wasn't even sure she was breathing. A wave of panic as fierce as the waves that were currently beating the rocks next to him, smashed through him. Without a second glance around the beach or a thought for Luna, or Dean, or Harry, or anyone else on this damned beach - he gathered Hermione up into his arms, and in a show of strength that he didn't even know he possessed, he picked her up and carried her.

He would be lying if he didn't admit it was a struggle. He was chronically underweight and his body had started to eat away at what little muscle he had managed to gain during his quidditch days before the war. He didn't care though, he was trying his hardest not to have an outright panic attack whilst carrying her. He couldn't bear to think about Hermione, the only girl he had ever, and would ever love not being alive anymore.

He struggled his way up to hill towards the dainty cottage sitting at it's peak. When he reached it he banged heavily with little care for the couple sleeping inside. It seemed like hours but he knew it could only have been a couple of minutes before the door opened to show his oldest brother's heavily scarred face behind a pointed wand.

Somehow the sight of his oldest brother, who Ron had always considered to be a mature adult who always had a handle on every situation, gave him free reign to let all his panic and worry out. He could feel himself practically turning into his five-year old self again, begging his big brother to fix his banged up knee without letting anyone know he'd stolen Fred's broom.

"Please Bill! You have to help me! I don't have time for this she….she…" He broke off into panicked sobs.

Bill took one look at Hermione's limp form and his brother's tears and put his wand away. He tried to take Hermione from him, but Ron couldn't let her go. He felt his brother's eyes on him as he staggered over to the sofa, placing her down as gently as his shaking arms would let him.

She looked so frail and tiny as Bill and Fleur (who had come running into the room shortly after they had laid her down) cast spells and wiped blood from her body.

"You have to fix her!" He sobbed, "Please, I can't…I can't…"

Bill turned to face him with serious eyes, "What happened Ron?!"

"I can't tell you Bill please just fix her, you have to fix her!" He managed to get out through the panicked sobs.

He was shaking and he couldn't slow his breathing down, his vision was starting to blur and he felt close to fainting when a scream broke through. Hermione's scream.

At first he thought for a moment he had dreamt the escape and that they were back inside that dungeon, but then his vision cleared and he saw that Fleur had managed to wake Hermione up. She was shaking and screaming but she was alive.

The jolt of relief that snapped his brain back into gear gave him another thought.

"Bill!" He shouted urgently over the screaming, "You have to warn everyone! They know I'm with Harry! You have to get them out!"

Bill's eyes went wide in shock, "What?! How?"

"There's no time for that! Just go!" Ron practically pushed him out of the way in an effort to get to Hermione. He distantly heard Bill leave.

Flour was trying to get Hermione to calm down but the thrashing didn't stop until Ron held her face in his hands,

"Hermione, love, you're safe. I'm here, I've got you." He said tenderly.

He repeated himself until her thrashing calmed and her eyes fluttered open.

"Ron?" Her voice called horsely.

"Yeah, It's me."

She opened her eyes, though he could tell it pained her, and winced.

"It hurts." she whimpered.

It sent a shot through his heart to see her in this much pain.

"I know love," he said as he stroked her hair, "You're so brave and strong and I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you in time, I'm so sorry." He cried into her chest and she brought her hands up to touch the back of his head in comfort.

Flour nudged him and he looked up to see her holding a vial of pain potion.

"This will help" she said softly, sympathy in her eyes.

As he helped Hermione drink the liquid, he noticed that somehow Fleur had managed to bandage her up while he was talking to Bill. Hermione sighed in relief as the potion began to take effect, flopping back down against the cushions.

Ron turned back to Fleur, "Thank you."

Flour smiled softly and ran a hand over his head, "do not worry, she will be all right.""

The crack of Bill apparating back sounded and Fleur went out to meet him leaving Hermione and Ron all alone. Some part of him wondered where everyone else was but right now he was just happy to be with her.

He turned back to look at her, to find her staring at him with a look he had only managed to catch a few times before. Usually when he caught her staring at him like this she would quickly avert her eyes but this time she didn't.

For a moment they just sat staring at each other unable to believe that they had both managed to make it out of there alive.

"You're alive." Ron's voice was hoarse from the screaming and crying, he cleared his throat before continuing, moving closer to her from his position sat on the floor by her side. "For a second there I thought you might not make it." He captured her hand in his.

Hermione looked down at her hand, tears filling her eyes, "But I did make it. Your voice, you were shouting my name." she reached a hand out to touch his face. "It helped me because when I heard you shouting I could remember why I was doing this, why I needed to stay alive."

He knew that she wasn't just talking about the horcrux hunt now. He might have had insecurities about whether or not Hermione actually felt the same way or not before, but after seeing her almost dead, he realised that he was wasting time wondering and holding back. He needed her to know, even if there was no way they could start something, even if they had an unspoken agreement to put Harry first.

"Hermione, I have to say something." He knelt up next to her, and her eyes widened and he saw a flash of something, hope maybe? She leant forward slightly and he took the hand that he wasn't already holding into his other.

"Ron you don't have to." Hermione started, but he cut her off smiling wryly.

"I know, but I need to say it. When she took you, when I heard the screaming and saw you lying there I realised that we're being bloody stupid." Hermione let out a slightly shocked breath of laughter. "I don't want to beat around the bush anymore, I love you Hermione Granger, and if you don't feel the same way then that's okay but I can't hold it in anymore, not when there's a possibility that I won't ever get to say it. I guess I thought that you and Harry were kind of untouchable in a way, that you would never actually get seriously hurt, but I was wrong. I've loved you for a long time Hermione and I just, I needed you to know."

She was crying now, but she was smiling. He kissed her knuckles.

"Oh Ron, I love you too. I guess I knew how you felt, or I'd hoped I was right. We really have been bloody stupid haven't we?" She laughed tearfully.

Ron was momentarily shocked by the sound of a swear word coming out of her mouth before he joined her in laughter.

Then the front door opened again. Luna came through with a melancholy expression.

"Oh, hello Hermione, I'm glad you're alright." She said sincerely.

"Thanks Luna." Hermione replied warmly.

"It's a shame about the house elf though isn't it?"

Hermione and Ron exchanged panicked glances.

"What do you mean Luna what happened?" Ron demanded.

"Oh! Did you not know? The house elf was caught by a knife while you escaped. Harry's burying him now."

And so their little bubble was burst and they went back to being soldiers in a war that they shouldn't have been fighting. Though they now knew of each other's feelings, they also knew that nothing could be done about them until they had completed their job.

Dobby's funeral was hard, but Ron was glad they had done it. If only to give Hermione some peace of mind. Afterwards Fleur insisted on feeding them, Ron hadn't quite realised how hungry he was until the food was put in front of him, and started to wolf it down. They ate in silence, which he was strangely glad for, he reckoned he must still be in shock, his movements were mechanical and part of him felt asleep, as though he were sleepwalking. He wasn't ready to answer the questions burning in Bill's eyes every time he looked at him.

It wasn't until Fleur had ushered everyone to bed that Bill finally caught him.

"Ron. Can we talk." It wasn't a question. It was a demand. He could see the barely hidden anger boiling beneath the surface of his older brother's concern.

Ron gave a tired nod, thinking longingly of the girl who was now making her way up to one of the few spare bedrooms.

They made their way outside and Bill put his hand on Ron's shoulder. He couldn't tell whether it was because he was swaying with exhaustion and Bill felt the need to hold him up, or he was making an attempt to calm himself.

"Ron you need to tell me what happened." Bill's eyes bore into Ron's as though he were trying to read his mind through them.

"I can't Bill, I've already said-" Ron started wearily.

"I know what you said Ronald, but for Merlin's sake can't you see that you need help in this, it's insane that you think you can do this alone! Hermione's already been hurt, you're only children!" Bill's voice was getting louder and tenser, the calm and controlled facade slipping.

"We aren't children Bill, and I promise you if I could tell you I would, we aren't doing this for no reason. Hermione's okay, we'll all be okay I promise, it was an accident. It won't happen again." He didn't know who he was trying to convince and Bill's own doubts were bringing his own fears to the surface.

"Merlin Ron! You think Hermione's okay?! She barely made it! She's alive yes, but Dean told me enough to know that she'll not be okay any time soon. This is a war Ron, people get hurt in war and everyone is going to be after you and Hermione now. You aren't invincible!" He was shaking his brother by the shoulders by this point, and it was making Ron feel slightly queasy.

"What are you talking about? Hermione's fine, you saw her! I won't let anything happen to her again!" Ron pushed his brother's hands off his shoulders.

"She was hit by a cruciatus curse, MULTIPLE TIMES, do you even know what that means?! You don't just patch that up and be on your way! She could still lose her mind! She needs rest and therapy and a healer, a real one, not to be in the middle of this mess."

The panic was rising at his words, Ron could feel it bubbling up. Images flashed through his mind of Neville's parents and of Hermione's screams when she woke up after he had saved her.

"SHUT UP BILL! She's fine, she's safe she isn't going to go insane. It's Hermione she's the strongest person I know. What do you know?!"

He was near tears, he could feel them and deep down he felt slightly guilty for shouting at his brother after everything he had done for them.

Bill looked sadly at him, sighing and running a hand over his own face.

"I'm just trying to help. Maybe we should talk tomorrow, you're tired." He sympathetically rubbed Ron's shoulder, guiding him back into the house.

"There isn't much room, you might have to sleep on the sofa." Bill offered.

Ron looked back up the stairs, with fear that maybe his brother was right. "I'll just check on Hermione."

He made his way up the stairs, his legs feeling like lead. When he reached her door, he knocked softly. She opened it gently, eyes warming when she saw him.

"Luna's asleep" she whispered, nodding to the girl in the other bed.

They stood in silence for a beat, just looking at each other, both exhausted and slightly numb.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay" He spoke softly so as to not wake Luna.

Hermione sighed, "I'll be fine, I'm just tired. To be honest though, i'm a little nervous about sleeping. I'm scared I might have nightmares." She shrugged sheepishly, attempting to hide her pure terror at the thought of reliving her real life nightmare.

"I could stay." Ron spoke without consideration, before realising what he had suggested. "I mean, I could sit with you until you fall asleep. If you wanted of course." He rubbed the back of his neck, wondering why he was still so nervous after finding out how she felt.

"I'd like that." Hermione blushed.

And so she climbed into bed as he settled into the wicker chair next to her. He wasn't quite sure what to do next and was internally fretting when all of a sudden she grabbed his hand, tucking it under her cheek intertwined with her own. She wasn't smiling, just looking at him with some intense emotion that he couldn't quite decipher in his blurry haze of sleep. Slowly her eyes fluttered shut, and he couldn't stop his own from doing the same.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading hope you enjoyed!**


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